Speaking ahead of the meeting, Carla Lockhart MP said:

“Families across Northern Ireland are at breaking point because of what would appear to be a collapse in ADHD and autism services. Children are waiting up to five years for assessment, and adults are facing waits of seven or eight years with some told that waiting lists may not even open unless funding becomes available. This is simply unacceptable and is leaving people without vital support for far too long.

At the same time, many families who have sought private diagnosis, often at significant personal cost, find that the NHS will not recognise those reports. Children with private diagnoses are pushed to the back of the queue, while many GPs refuse to enter into shared care agreements to support prescriptions.

We also face a serious issue with medication shortages with a number of constituents having raised concerns. Families are experiencing repeated supply failures of ADHD medication such as Methylphenidate, Concerta and Delmosart. In many cases, children and adults are being switched to alternatives that trigger severe side effects.  The lack of a proper plan to safeguard supply is putting vulnerable people at real risk.

For adults, the situation is even worse. In many Trusts there is simply no ADHD service at all, leaving adults without diagnosis, without treatment, and without hope of support. This is impacting their ability to work, to maintain family life, and to manage their own wellbeing.

The cumulative effect on families is devastating. Parents are struggling to cope with sometimes violent or challenging behaviours, children are being failed at school, and the stress is leading to family breakdown, job losses, and worsening mental health. It is a scandal that so many are being left to cope alone.

At my meeting with the Minister, I will be pressing for urgent investment to cut waiting times, proper recognition of private diagnoses, the restoration of shared care prescribing arrangements, urgent action to stabilise medication supply, the establishment of adult ADHD services in every Trust, and greater support for families and schools. Families across Northern Ireland deserve fair, consistent, and safe care and the time for action is now.”